Silo door and ladder structure



J. COWIN SILO DOOR AND LADDER STRUCTURE Dec. 13, 1 92 7.

6 2 9 l y a M d e 1 i F 7 c /IZZZII/Of Patented Dee; 13, 1927]; I

f ,s TATES l anings cowl N; 'or' iaimvnnromsi iarmmsorn.

SILO' noon 'nnn LADDER "s'rnno'rnnnf V Application filed May 5,

' Theobjeot of myinvention isto provide a silo door and ladder structure wherein the 'framebf the doorserves; to sup-port the ladv der' elements and the door itself supports a- 5 ladderelement which serves not onl-y asr'a. ladder/ 'element but; i also. asmeans for locking and holding the door in; closed-position ins th rd or ram v zS ai a rth -obient s p p v de'ae l W door adaptedto be locked. position by a step-or ladder element and thegreater down-V ward pressure uponthe l-adder elemenh the tighter the door -will beheld imposition Still a" further object t oprovide a silo door; adapted to have ;n1ou nt ed thereon the entire; looking meanswhereinthe-door held 'inclosed. position so that when: the door I is- {removed-*- no obstr-uctions will; ibe to interfere with t-hegdo or opening I H these and. other objects in view, my invention consists the: construction, arrangement: and combination of the various p r o my n iemnawhs e th bbi s contemplated are" attainedg,-,. as herein-after claims, and-illustrated in t-he accompanying drawingainwhioh-z a I 1 e 3 i I Figure l,iis a tront-viewot a portion of a silo'withmy improved silo door a'ndl ladder 3O structureinstalledthereon;; I v

qFi-gure 2,-is a seotional view takenon line +2o Figure 3, is.- a horizontal seoti oiiai view taken on. lilne-3.3of Figure 1,

Figure l is a'detail ectionallivi ewshowing means andthedoor frame.

the connection between, the J door; closing 1 Figure 5,-is a detail sectional view showv ing' how the channel members of the/door frameiare conneotedtogether and w i j.

Figureti, is a detail view of one end ofthe ladder element or closing means for the door- In the accompanying,- drawings Thave used pair of-"transverse connecting members 13 which I are; rigidly connected, together for forming the entire-rectangular door; frame- 11. The members 12 and 13- are channel. shaped any type-Which may be eitherbu ilt up of pair of vertically spaced uprights 12 and a 1926; Serial No 106,987

and 16-. The bracket arms- 15 extendoutwardlgyfand downwardly triom the-lower end: of the door-frameill and the 'bracket-arm extends upwardly and outwardly from the doorframe 11,

j i 1 T; The spaced pairs offibracketr arms15 and 16 are connected together by ladder elements 17 which in; the drawings I have illustrated as formed of anglemat;erial although any; type of cross piece may be usedland the cross pieces or ladder element-s1 serveas steps or aladder element to climb u-pinto the silo."

It will. be-noted that the ladder elements 17 as mountedupon the-braoket arms 15' and- 16 are spaced a considerable distance; apart it necessary to havean intermediate-step l d n' l n and t s is formediin. connectingwith thesil-o door itself in the man 8 5 nerl will now describe in?'vdeta i linv A'door 18 formed of metal o r-any "ther suitable material, is arranged to; cover-"the entire door opening and to-abutagainst the inner surface of the door: frame 11'. v A The door 18 h-as-fiXe'dto i-taipair-of angle irons '19 which are extended lengthwise or 7 vertical relative to the-door and serve both.

I to brace'thedoor' andqas a means of connee ,i

tion to the closure member as wellasthe 5 intermediate step or ladder element; i

{A yoke shaped member 20 serves-as the intermediateladder element and is connected to the door 18 byapair of. connecting arms 21 which are pivotally connected atone end to the upright angle irons 1 19 and adjustably con-nect'edattheir otherendsto the connected portion of the yoke member 20'.

The legs 22 of the yoke member 20 are formed with slots or "notches 23' in their. free 105 ends which coact withr stud bolts or pins 2 1 i I mounted upon the uprights '12 of the frame 11. i 1

The stud bol .s or pins 2 1 serve as a pivot for the yoke member and are mounted in the upright members 12 and held there by washers and nuts 25, clearly illustrated in Figure 4- of the drawings.

An enlarged head or nut 26 is also mounted u on the bolts and the legs 22 are partialy received between the nuts .25 and 26.

An additional flat plate 27 may be connected to the uprights 12 and this serves to reinforce and brace the stud bolts or pins 24-.

member 20. l l

The connection betweenthe arms 21 and the angle irons 19 is slightly lower than the position of the pins or stud bolts 2 t The yoke member 20 which is connected to the door 18 through thearmsill is positioned with the slots 23 receiving the-pivots or stud bolts 24 and thereafter downward pressure upon the yoke member 20 will cause the door 18 to be drawn against the door frame 11 and the greater the downward pressure the tighter the door will be held against the door frame.

The positioning of tliestud bolt 24 above the connection between the arms 21 with the angle irons l9 insuresthe yoke member to remain in its downward or locked position when the parts are placed under a tension.

In'other words after the yoke member 20 is moved to the position shown in liigure :3 of the drawings, it would benecessary to overcome to a certain degree the tension applied to the door through the arm 21. when the yoke member 20 wouldbe raised.

The yoke member 20 and arms 21 are arranged upon difl'erent centers so that when the door is in closed position the parts will be past center.

The connecting member of the yoke 20 between the legs 22 serve as a ladder element and this in connection with the ladder element 17 furnishes the entire ladder structure for the silo. i

Stops 28 are mounted upon the uprights 12 and limit the amount of downward movement of the yoke member 20.

The tensionapplied upon the door when it is in closed position may be varied by simply tightening or loosening the connections between the arms 21 and the yoke The entire door and yokemember 20 may be disconnected from the door frame 11 by simply raising the yoke member 20 and lifting the same upwardly until the notches or slots clear the stud bolts EZ-l.

It will be noted that when a series of door assembliesand door vframes are used that a continuous latter will be formed from the two ladder elementsmounted upon the door frame and the ladder .elemcntlor closure element which is. mounted upon the door itself and pivotally connected to the door frame.

Some changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of the various parts of my invention, without departing fromthe real spirit and purpose of my invention and it is my intention to cover by my claims, any modified forms of structure or use of mechanical equivalents, which may be reasonably included within their scope.

I claim as my invention:

1. A silo door and ladder structure including a frame for the dooropening having ladder elements secured to its top andbottom sides, a door for. said opening adapted to be engaged with the inner side of the door frame and means for holding the doorin closed position, said last means including a yokemember pivotally connected to the door frame and loosely connected to the door and adapted when swun onitsypivots*to draw the door towards t edoor frame and to retain the door in its closed position, said last means when the door is in closed position serving as one 7 step element of a ladder structure.

2. A silo door and ladder structure in: cluding a frame forthe door openinghaving ladder elements secured to its top andbottom sides, a doorfor said opening adapted to be engaged with the inner. sidc of the door, Frame and means for holding the door in closed position, said last means including a yoke member pivotally connected to the door Frame and loosely connected to the door and adapted when swun on its pivots to draw the door towards t ie doorframeand to retain the door in its closed position, said last means when the door is m closedyposi tion Serving as one step element of a ladder structure and stops on the door frame for limiting the pivotal movement of the yoke member in one direction. y I i 3. A silo doorand ladder structure including a frame for the door openinghaving ladder elements secured to its top and bottom sides, a door forsaid opening adapted to be engaged with the inner side of the door frame and means for holding thedoor in closed position, said last means includinga yoke pivotally sup orted upon the door frame and connecte to the door, the pivot connection ofthe yoke member with the frame and the connection of the yoke memher with the door beingat spaced points so that pivotal movement of the yoke member in a downward direction will cause the yoke member to move past center relative to its connection with the door thereby maintaining the door in closed osition.

4. A silo door an ladder construction comprising an outwardlyopening channel shaped door frame, adoorfor said door frame desi ned -to cn a e the inner side thereof, a yoke member having rods secured thereto which are pivotally' connectedto said door and means on said door frame toen gage the ends of said yoke whereby said yoke forms a lever for holding said door closed and serves as a step. I

5. A $110 door and ladder construct on compris ng a door frame, a door forsaid door frame designed to engage the inner side thereof, a yoke member having rods secured thereto which are pivotally connect-ed to said Y door and means on said door frame to engage the ends of said yoke whereby said yoke forms a lever for holding said door closed and stops for limiting the lever movement elements onsaid arms, a door for said door frame, astep comprising a yoke plvoted to sald door frame between said first mentioned steps and having parts connected to said door for causing it to engage the inner surface of said door frame. 7

' '7. A device of the class described compns mg a door frame having steps secured thereto adjacent the upper and lower ends thereof, an intermediate step pivotally and detach aoly secured to said door frame and-having rods extending to a door for causing said (1001' to engage the inner surface of said door" rame, said intermediate step acting as a lever for securely holding said door thereagainst.

JAMES oownv. 

